Under Your Arms
by Shefira
Summary: A swordsman found herself stranded in the middle of a blizzard. Silently she took this chance to contemplate about her life.


Under Your Arms

The wind gust was shaking the entire hut in a rocking motion. Each passing breeze only served as a dire keepsake of the bone-freezing weather out there. Armed with a small bonfire and our thin clothes, I curled up as tight as I could at the farthest corner. With each fleeting breath I sensed a smaller heart beat, pulsing ever slowly on my chest. I hugged my nekomata as close as I can. I could only hope both of us would survive to see the next sunrise.

It was a miracle the tattered wooden door still stayed faithfully in its place, I doubt even the strongest adventurer could even stand still in this god-forsaken blizzard. The wind roared like a madman, ruffling all the trees like they were nothing but paper. They said northern wind could get ugly, but I never imagined it would be THIS ugly.

Damn, wouldn't it nice if someone out there could build some wind power plant in here? Think about all those wasted energies.

"Brrr, Yochanan…?" A small voice ringed from my chest.

Ah crap, I got distracted again.

"It's okay dear, I'm here," I tightened my arms around her frail body. Poor little thing, she wasn't even supposed to be here.

I could still remember it clearly, just yesterday I thought it was a good idea to try and kill the dreaded White Bear without looking at the weather forecast. Someone tried to warn me about the impending storm, but I just pushed him away.

"_Hey! At least take this coat with you."_

"_Nah won't need it. I can survive any weather just fine!"_

Oh how I loved how all those word bite me back in the ass.

I shivered again. I totally lucked out back there, there's this abandoned hut just right where I couldn't walk any further. I smashed a nearby mailbox to make a bonfire. Who says only backpackers can do that? It's not big like theirs, I know, but at least we won't wake up as a damned ice cube.

Hah. All these cold drives me to think about, well, everything. It's not like you could do anything at all in this crazy weather. I thought about my first crush, my first sword, my first kill, my first bounty, even when I signed at the Swordsman Master. I could still remember his scrawny face looking at me, doubtful.

"_Are you sure you want to be a swordsman? Spelluser will surely fit you nicely."_

"_You say that I'm weak?"_

"_Well it's not like that, I just-"_

"_Just give me that damn badge or I'll cut your head off!"_

That looks on his face, priceless! I never screamed that loud before. But then again, why did I choose this job anyway? Was it because I want to prove myself? Or was it because I want to be accepted for what I'm not? Nah, it was very unlikely. I just don't care anymore.

I've heard lots of stories about wandering adventurers; they travel around aimlessly just to find their true identity, their true purpose. That's just silly, why do you ever need to search for something that never leaves you? If you want to know your true identity, grab a mirror. If you want to know your true purpose, just walk a random direction, and settles down when it suits you. Everything is just simple, why did they make it so complicated just because they don't want to accept what they already have?

Idiocy and a false sense of grandeur, maybe.

I looked down on my chest, seems like Ami fell asleep just a moment ago. I watched her chest rise and fall in a slow beat. My heart flushed at the sight of her face, her closed eyes, her small mouth, her occasionally twitching white ears, and her white-striped blue tail, everything about her just simply screams cute.

I considered myself extremely lucky to meet her. That day I was eating my lunch at the Eastern Plains, and suddenly she just popped out of the trash can and started to attack me for my sandwich. Of course I fight back; I would never give up my dear lunch just because a cat apparition wants to take a bite!

And the next thing I know, she followed me wherever I go, even to the bathroom.

It's not like it was a bad thing. I always wanted a pet, but I never imagined it would be a flying cat ghost with seemingly endless appetite. Not to mention her stale sense of humor.

A cat ghost or nekomata as they called it…

Now think about it, some people said feline creatures got extinct at least fifty years ago. So Ami must be at least fifty years old. Damn she's old.

Ami's ear twitched at the last thought, I kissed her temple softly. I hope she won't get mad for calling her old

I recalled Ami mentioned her previous owner last time. I never paid any attention but I remembered her face when she told me that story. She was very delighted, reminiscing about how her previous owner often bakes her cupcakes and cherry pie, about her beautiful voice singing to the birds. The warm smile never left her face, but her eyes betrayed her feelings.

Of course I recognized that look, the same look when my grandmother sings me those lullaby years ago. Look of those memories of lost friends and long forgotten pasts.

When I die someday in the future, will Ami remember me, just the way she remembered her previous caretaker?

"Yochanan, why are you talking so loud? I can't sleep…" Ami stretched her tiny arms, almost pushing herself away from me.

I closed my hands around her before she got cold again, Ami squirmed a bit, but she felt content. "Sorry, I must've talked to myself," I said as I smiled to her.

"Of course I'll remember you, you big fat meanie," said Ami as she drools asleep again.

I could only watch her in silence, sleeping so peacefully after blurting out such a-

"Shut the buck up," cried Ami as she shoved her face further in my hug. "I'm trying to sleep, okay?"

I laughed heartily at my own childishness, "I'm sorry. I guess I just over thinking about stuff."

"There's no use thinking about things that won't happen unless you do it silly," her voice was muffled from talking trough my chest. "Just sleep, now!"

I giggled slowly at her comment. But she got a valid point. I kissed her forehead for the fifth time today.

"Sweet dreams, my little nekomata."

I closed our eyes, and promptly soared to the dreamland.


End file.
